The situation in Ghazni – background

Freelance journalist Jason Motlagh stirred the coalition’s pot with his December article in Time Magazine which showed the Poles in an unfavorable light. One of his earlier articles about Ghazni gives a little more context about what the situation in Ghazni is really like, and gives more detailed reasons for escalating tension in the region. People on the ground there will tell you that both the ethnic racism among Afghans, as well as President Obama’s troop surge pushing Taliban North out of their safe havens have a lot to do with the increased attacks in Ghazni. This article explains the situation well, as far as I understand it. It was written in the wake of the most recent elections.

“The results of Afghanistan’s parliamentary elections announced this week were an anti-climax, coming two months later and tainted by an avalanche of fraud and vote-rigging allegations. But returns from one of the country’s 34 provinces were not certified, and that’s where things get interesting. In Ghazni, a Taliban stronghold with an ethnic Pasthun majority, preliminary results apparently show that the Hazara minority swept the polls by claiming all 11 seats. Given the eastern province’s mixed demography, it’s widely agreed the improbable outcome stems from the insecurity that kept tens of thousands of Pashtuns away from the polls. Much as the Afghan government and its foreign backers want to move on, there are now fears that if corrective steps are not taken, the country’s largest ethnic group could be further isolated — to the Taliban’s advantage.”